Senior Safety Integration Validation Engineer Lead – SDV Architecture (GPSSC)

General Motors; Warren (MI); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

General Motors is seeking a Senior Safety Integration Validation Engineer Lead for SDV Architecture to drive end-to-end validation of Core ECUs and Infrastructure Functions within Software Defined Vehicle Architecture. You will mentor the SIVE community and align cross-functional partners to ensure evidence, readiness, and governance are in place for a safe, reliable vehicle platform.

The role emphasizes leadership in validation strategy, collaboration across programs, and escalating issues to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Computer, Systems, or related).
• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience in vehicle systems, validation, integration, or testing.
• Strong knowledge of vehicle systems, interfaces, architecture variants, and failure modes.
• Hands-on experience with system- or feature-level testing on benches, vehicles, and/or virtual test environments.
• Experience owning or leading validation planning, execution, readiness assessment, and evidence closure.
• Ability to interpret requirements and translate them into validation plans, test cases, acceptance criteria, and traceable evidence.
• Experience with issue management, root-cause analysis, and cross-functional problem solving.
• Proficiency with requirements, test management, traceability, and issue-tracking tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to present readiness, risks, and trade-offs clearly.
• Ability to support compliance activities tied to regulatory/compliance requirements.
• Proven experience leading cross-functional integration and validation efforts across programs, domains, or architecture variants.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop engineers and to shape validation strategy at the system or domain level.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership for SDV Architecture validation across Core ECUs and Infrastructure Functions.
• Define traceability and evidence-management practices; ensure audit-ready documentation.
• Oversee validation execution plans across benches, vehicles, and virtual environments.
• Lead readiness, compliance, and governance discussions for SDV Architecture in ADV, PAR, DVUL, and related forums.
• Coordinate issue triage and closure for high-impact integration issues.
• Mentor SIVEs and Senior SIVEs; shape validation strategy at system/domain level.
• Foster cross-functional collaboration and ownership during launches.

Skills

Systems engineering

Validation planning

Traceability

Issue management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

Master's degree (preferred)

Tools

Jira

Job description

Job Description

At General Motors, our product teams are redefining mobility. Through a human-centered design process, we create vehicles and experiences that are designed not just to be seen, but to be felt. We’re turning today’s impossible into tomorrow’s standard —from breakthrough hardware and battery systems to intuitive design, intelligent software, and next-generation safety and entertainment features. Every day, our products move millions of people as we aim to make driving safer, smarter, and more connected, shaping the future of transportation on a global scale.

The Role

The Senior Safety Integration Validation Engineer Lead for SDV Architecture provides technical and leadership oversight for end-to-end integration and validation of Core ECUs and Infrastructure Functions within Software Defined Vehicle Architecture. This role also drives broader strategy, readiness, integration, and mentorship for the application domain SIVE community, ensuring that validation standard work, training, and governance are consistently applied. The Senior SIVE Lead shapes validation operating models, aligns cross-functional partners, and represents the Infrastructure Functions in key readiness and governance forums. The role mentors SIVEs and Senior SIVEs, supports role clarity, and ensures that integration issues, risks, and evidence are managed with a systems mindset and in line with GM Behaviors.

What You'll Do

• Requirement Translation & Test Intent Provide technical leadership for how infrastructure functional requirements are translated into test intent and coverage across overall SDV Architecture. Sponsor and review executable test intent, ensuring alignment with system architecture, safety, regulatory, and customer requirements. Coach SIVEs and Senior SIVEs on defining ownership and converting ambiguous or evolving requirements into clear validation objectives and coverage.
• Traceability & Evidence Management Define and champion traceability and evidence-management practices across DNG, ETM, Jira, and other tools. Ensure evidence flow, source-of-truth rules, and audit-ready documentation expectations are clearly understood and applied by HW/SW development teams, as well as system development teams. Review and challenge traceability and evidence completeness at key milestones, driving closure of gaps before Safety Usage Approval Milestones and Formal Reviews.
• Integration & System Validation Execution Oversee integration and system validation execution plans across benches, vehicles, and virtual environments for Core ECUs and Infrastructure Functions within Software Defined Vehicle Architecture Define patterns and playbooks for structured exploratory testing, virtual-to-hardware correlation, and variant evaluation. Support resolution of complex integration issues spanning multiple systems, hardware, and software, engaging appropriate experts as needed.
• Readiness, Compliance & Governance Lead readiness, compliance, and governance discussions for SDV Architecture in ADV, PAR, DVUL, Regulatory, and related forums. Ensure validation, readiness, evidence, and milestone status for the SDV Architecture are accurate, concise, and decision-ready. Guide the team on compliance dependency management with DRE and supplier inputs, and on export / regulatory certification documentation.
• Issue Triage, Closure & Launch Support Lead cross-functional issue triage and closure ownership for high-impact integration and validation issues within the SDV Architecture. Convert technical discussion into clear owners, actions, timing, and escalation paths, ensuring structured concern surfacing and risk management. Support plant, launch, and field teams by prioritizing and coordinating resolution of integration issues impacting launch readiness.
• Cross-functional Operating Model & Leadership Define and continuously improve the cross-functional operating model for system integration and validation for SDV Architecture (roles, handshakes, and decision rights). Foster explicit handshakes across systems, safety, software, calibration, validation, and suppliers, aligning on owners and expectations. Provide Senior SIVE leadership and mentoring, helping others grow in technical depth, systems thinking, and execution discipline. Lead by example through accountability, constructive feedback, inclusion, and consistent application of GM Behaviors.

Your Skills & Abilities (Required Qualifications)

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, Computer, Systems, or related discipline).
• 5+ years of relevant engineering experience in vehicle systems, validation, integration, or testing with ownership of significant technical deliverables.
• Strong knowledge of vehicle systems, interfaces, architecture variants, and failure modes relevant to assigned scope.
• Hands-on experience with system- or feature-level testing on benches, vehicles, and/or virtual test environments.
• Experience owning or leading validation planning, execution, readiness assessment, and evidence closure for assigned scope.
• Ability to interpret requirements and translate them into validation plans, test cases, acceptance criteria, and traceable evidence.
• Experience with issue management, root-cause analysis, and cross-functional problem solving.
• Proficiency with requirements, test management, traceability, and issue-tracking tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including ability to present readiness, risks, and trade-offs clearly.
• Ability to support compliance activities tied to [Insert applicable regulatory / compliance requirements].
• Proven experience leading cross-functional integration and validation efforts across programs, domains, or architecture variants.
• Demonstrated ability to mentor and develop engineers and to shape validation strategy at the system or domain level.

What Will Give You A Competitive Edge (Preferred Qualifications)

• Master's degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechatronics, Systems, or related field).
• Experience in automotive system integration, validation, or feature / system testing across multiple programs or architecture variants.
• Direct experience validating safety- or regulatory-relevant features and systems.
• Experience with automation, regression testing, HIL/SIL, virtual validation, and/or data-analysis-driven evaluation methods.
• Working knowledge of automotive networks, diagnostics, and tools used to support system integration troubleshooting.
• Experience authoring or reviewing compliance summaries, Product Validation Letters, judgement letters, or similar validation documentation.
• Demonstrated experience coaching others, facilitating reviews, and driving alignment across technical stakeholders.
• Experience with standards, procedures, or domain-specific requirements related to [Insert domain or system area].
• Experience defining validation operating models, standard work, or governance for a broader team or portfolio.
• Demonstrated leadership in readiness, compliance, and milestone governance forums (e.g., ADV, PAR, DVUL).

Location and Eligibility

GM does not provide immigration-related sponsorship for this role. Do not apply for this role if you will need GM immigration sponsorship now or in the future. This includes direct company sponsorship, entry of GM as the immigration employer of record on a government form, and any work authorization requiring a written submission or other immigration support from the company (e.g., H1-B, OPT, STEM OPT, CPT, TN, J-1, etc). This role is categorized as hybrid. This means the selected candidate is expected to report to a specific location at least 3 times a week {or other frequency dictated by their manager}. The selected candidate will be required to travel <25% for this role. This job may be eligible for relocation benefits. This position requires the ability to legally operate a motor vehicle on a regular basis and successfully complete a Motor Vehicle Report review.

About GM

Our vision is a world with Zero Crashes, Zero Emissions and Zero Congestion and we embrace the responsibility to lead the change that will make our world better, safer and more equitable for all.

Why Join Us

We believe we all must make a choice every day – individually and collectively – to drive meaningful change through our words, our deeds and our culture. Every day, we want every employee to feel they belong to one General Motors team.

Benefits Overview

From day one, we’re looking out for your well-being–at work and at home–so you can focus on realizing your ambitions. Learn how GM supports a rewarding career that rewards you personally by visiting Total Rewards resources.

Non-Discrimination and Equal Employment Opportunities (U.S.)

General Motors is committed to being a workplace that is not only free of unlawful discrimination, but one that genuinely fosters inclusion and belonging. We strongly believe that providing an inclusive workplace creates an environment in which our employees can thrive and develop better products for our customers. All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis without regard to sex, race, color, national origin, citizenship status, religion, age, disability, pregnancy or maternity status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran or protected veteran, or any other similarly protected status in accordance with federal, state and local laws.

Accommodations

General Motors offers opportunities to all job seekers including individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to assist with your job search or application for employment, email us or call us at 1-800-865-7580. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.

Explore our global locations

We are determined to lead change for the world through technology, ingenuity and harnessing the creativity of our diverse team.